Article: Things to Think About (Game Thread, 4/10 3:10pm)

[Riverbrian]

As we kick off a brand new series with the White Sox. Here are some things to think about.1. Mathematical Elimination -- I'm sure you were all just like me... Waking up this morning to discover that the Twins have been mathematically eliminated from any possibility of winning the AL Central title in 2015. 159 games to go and three games behind the Tigers and Royals... It's clearly over... Boy... the Twins sure jumped off that cliff quick.

2. Next Year -- Sano hit a home run for New Britain... Umm... Make that... Chattanooga last night. Folks behind the fence as the ball was coming toward them were heard saying "Lookout". This is much better then when he hit home runs in Ft. Myers and the folks behind the fence were saying "Miracle". Oh By the Way... Aaron Hicks hit a home run for Rochester yesterday... Call him up now!!! He's clearly ready.

3. 21-1 -- Yeah... Think about that... Just think about that. The Twins were outscored 22-1 over the course of three games to start the season. The margins are thin in baseball. Seventy wins is a bad team... Win 11 more games and you are an average team... Win nine more and you are a great team. Those margins are paper thin in the game of baseball... I gotta say... there is nothing thin about 22-1. Not exactly a flying start for Paul Molitor.

4. The rotation -- Do we have one? I've lost track... Could someone post the current rotation so I can play along.

5. Spring Break -- A couple of weeks ago... My oldest son... Took a break from college and went to Lake Havasu to join a bunch of other college students who were congregated in one spot. He sent a video back of him cliff diving into water below. Cliffs in Eastern North Dakota are approximately 10 inches high so this was a new experience for him. My immediate thought was... "If at first you don't succeed... So much for Cliff Diving".

 

Lineups:

 

TWINS:

Dozier 2B

Escobar SS

Mauer 1B

Hunter RF

Vargas DH

Plouffe 3B

Arcia LF

Suzuki C

Schafer CF

 

Milone P

 

WHITE SOX:

Eaton CF

Cabrera LF

Abreu 1B

Garcia RF

LaRoche DH

Ramirez SS

Beckham 3B

Flowers C

Johnson 2B

 

Noeisi P

 

Game-time forecast: 60 deg F, 20% chance of precipitation (drizzle), winds blowing in from the WSW at 20mph, gusting up to 35mph.

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[mdawg888]

New series, new start, let's do it...can't get any worse (shaking my head as I type).

[USAFChief]

I hate to resort to cliches, but when a classic barn burner of epic proportions comes along once in a generation like this, well sometimes you have to: the resistable force meets the movable object.

[Squirrel]

One of my complaints about the city is the tourists who drive and don't know where the heck they are going. Noticing a few MN plates here today among this group. Hint ... get that vehicle parked, now, and take public transit!

[Riverbrian]

 

One of my complaints about the city is the tourists who drive and don't know where the heck they are going. Noticing a few MN plates here today among this group. Hint ... get that vehicle parked, now, and take public transit!

 

I've been to one White Sox game. Got lost and my ND Plate looked a little out of place in the projects.

[ashbury]

 

Oh By the Way... Aaron Hicks hit a home run for Rochester yesterday... Call him up now!!! He's clearly ready.

Of greater importance, he caught a ball hit to the outfield. I say wait one more game to make sure that wasn't a fluke.

[JB_Iowa]

One team will get its first win of the season today. Let it be the Twins.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Of greater importance, he caught a ball hit to the outfield. I say wait one more game to make sure that wasn't a fluke.

 

I think I agree with your premise.....if he was the OF we were promised, we could probably over look his offense more......but the last two years he's been neither an acceptable hitter or fielder.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Both games I've attended in Chicago (one Cubs, one White Sox) I got there on the train. I can't imagine trying to drive around Wrigleyville, and around the Cell I imagine isn't much better, especially near game time...

 

Let's hope we aren't calling him "Touchdown" Tommy Milone by the end of his start.

 

What's the record for fewest runs allowed by a Twins Starter in 2015? Can Tommy break that record?

 

[Mike Sixel]

I predict a Twins' win.....4-2. Actual RBI and everything.

[big dog]

My fearless AL Central forecast was that the Tigers would collapse.  In my defense, that was based on expected injuries.  They look pretty good right now, especially when you don't have (I mean "get") to face Verlander (the new version).  I still think they are going to have too many people on the DL for too long.  Hopefully we don't play them again until that happens.

 

Milone v. Noesi...set your DVRs, you aren't going to want to miss one exciting moment!

Edited April 10, 2015 by big dog

[big dog]

 

 

Both games I've attended in Chicago (one Cubs, one White Sox) I got there on the train. I can't imagine trying to drive around Wrigleyville, and around the Cell I imagine isn't much better, especially near game time...

 

Let's hope we aren't calling him "Touchdown" Tommy Milone by the end of his start.

 

What's the record for fewest runs allowed by a Twins Starter in 2015? Can Tommy break that record?

Traffic isn't that bad around the Cell, although they may actually have a decent crowd today.  Everything else, however, is pretty bad there.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Loved it! I was afraid there would be a list of things we are better off not thinking about.

[jokin]

 

I predict a Twins' win.....4-2. Actual RBI and everything.

 

 

But will any of them be earned runs?  The Twins are currently on a 37.1 consecutive innings string without scoring an earned run.  

 

It better happen today, what with Shark and Sale starting Saturday and Sunday.

 

 

[gocgo]

I normally watch most of the Twins games, but after those 3 in Detroit, I'm more excited to watch video highlights of Sano, Hicks, Buxton, whoever than watching the Twins.  I just see very few players that seem like they want to be there.  Escobar looks like he wants to play...Schaefer not so much.  I like Tori getting fired up at Joe West.  Give me a guy that takes a bat to the Gatorade container over the guy that just sits there spitting seeds.

[Jerr]

Hope to home, at game time to enjoy Twins first win!

[diehardtwinsfan]

I predict that Pelfrey and Milone will both pitch gems making us wonder why it is that they were competing for rotation spots anyways.

[ashbury]

Hey, off-topic, but that's what Game Threads are about, amiright? I wanna put in a good word with all of you for Seth's Adopt-A-Prospect project. There are about a hundred Twins prospects worth following, and it doesn't take a lot of time or experience to choose one, follow him, and write up highlights every week or two. You give a little effort, and it pays off when you want to look up something about another player and someone else has got it right there for you. Give it a try.

[Mike Sixel]

Off topic. .....the play Mr Burns at the Guthrie is awful. Do not go.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

Off topic. .....the play Mr Burns at the Guthrie is awful. Do not go.

Interesting - I've heard the exact opposite. I am going to see it on Tuesday or Wednesday...

[mikelink45]

Nice list - levity is a good thing and if the Twins have a great weekend we will all be happier.

 

[Mill1634]

Maybe 2 runs?

[Mike Sixel]

All 4 of us hated it. I would rather watch Nishioka play SS again than see that play again. Act 1 wasn't bad. It has great promise. But, it did not work for us, or the others we overhead after. Hope your experience is better.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

All 4 of us hated it. I would rather watch Nishioka play SS again than see that play again. Act 1 wasn't bad. It has great promise. But, it did not work for us, or the others we overhead after. Hope your experience is better.

me too!

[ashbury]

 

All 4 of us hated it. I would rather watch Nishioka play SS again than see that play again. Act 1 wasn't bad. It has great promise. But, it did not work for us, or the others we overhead after. Hope your experience is better.

TD should open a new Forum, The Arts. "This was the Nishioka of stage plays. Charge an error to whoever produced it. WAR (Writing Above Replacement) negative 100. Don't fail to miss this one!"

[gocgo]

OK, I'm trying to stay positive here so how about this?  If the Twins play .500 ball the rest of the year, we would finish with 78 wins.  78-84....doesn't sound that bad compared to the previous 4 years does it?  Yeah....keep those positive thoughts and puppy pictures coming.

[HitInAPinch]

Looks like Trevor May is starting on Monday...

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/Twins_Insider.html

 

[zenser]

I just hope we left the clown car in Detroit and the Twins can actually field the real team.  I am going to take my kids to the actual circus in a couple weeks.  I don't need to see another one on the baseball field.

[Circus Boy]

 

Off topic. .....the play Mr Burns at the Guthrie is awful. Do not go.

 

Exxx-cellent!

[JeffReboulet]

I like this lineup. I think Milone is going to be surprisingly effective. I really shouldn't, but I feel good about today's game.

 

#positivethoughts